so. There are no goals. Goals are a European idea. This game is about endless, joyful motion. Horatio appears from the side. He has no fear for Tom’s safety. That is not his concern. His concern is Tom’s education.
Tom, he says, Tom. Come home for your lessons. The white boy leaves but in leaving he speaks to his Tjapwurrung playmates. He speaks to them in Tjapwurrung. They reply. They have an exchange, then Tom turns and leaves, walking beside his father.
What did he say to you? asks Horatio
He asked me to come back and play. I said to him, I will, I like your games. Horatio keeps walking.
Your lessons with me are going to be daily, Tom. A man has no chance in this world without an education.
Tom, being pulled along by his father, looks back at the camp of the blacks. Horatio, somewhat surprised to learn that he is not the centre of his son’s attention, looks at what he is looking at – the camp of the blacks.
4
An Aboriginal woman, last in a line of Aboriginal women, is walking through a forest. You are hearing women’s laughter and chatter when a face appears from a tree, grabs the woman, clamping a hand across her face and pulling her to the ground. It is Miller, Horatio’s stockman. The next shot is of two sets of eyes – Miller’s are mad and staring, imposing his will to silence on the woman. Her eyes are terrified. He holds her there until the sound of the women’s laughter and chatter is some way distant. Then he rapes her.
5
Elizabeth Wills in her tent. Turns and sees black man with cold hate in his eyes. He pushes her to the ground but before he falls upon her she screams. As the sound continues, we see the scene from a different perspective – from outside the tent. We see Horatio and the men working, erecting a shed for storage. Hearing the scream Horatio runs for the tent, shouting, Elizabeth! Elizabeth. One of the men with Horatio – not Miller – picks up a gun and fires into the air. He does it in several directions so the noise gets out as far as possible while Horatio and Miller run for the tent. Inside the tent, Elizabeth Wills’ face is one of manic desperation as she holds off this black man who has one hand pressing on her face. Distracted by the gunshots, the black man looks up; in that instant, she hits him with a candle stick. The sound of running can be heard approaching the tent, the sound of voices. The black man pushes off her – it can be seen he has not succeeded in raping her – her dress is not pulled up – and runs off. Horatio Wills, pulling open the tent door is met with a distraught wife and her long shuddering cry. He embraces her, comforting her.
6
It’s night time in the bush. The shooting party is out, Horatio Wills among them. They creep through the bush, guns in hand. A man up ahead signals them to stop and points. Through the trees can be seen a fire, a camp – Aboriginal men, women and children. The leader waves his hand to indicate the whites should spread out. Horatio goes to the right with another man. The other man stops Horatio and points, directing his attention to an Aboriginal woman sitting on a log. She is naked from the waist up. She has an infant feeding from her right breast. The man makes a gesture to ensure Horatio knows which Aboriginal person he is referring to – t he woman with the infant. Then he takes up his rifle, takes aim and fires. The woman is flung about by the impact of the bullet, the baby drops to the ground. The man turns to Horatio with a clenched fist salute and a huge grin on his face. He’s enjoyed shooting a woman with a baby at her breast like he’s enjoyed shooting a duck on the first day of the duck shooting season. Horatio is incredulous. By now, others have started firing, Aboriginal people are falling over, others are screaming and, in panic, running everywhere. Horatio hasn’t moved, hasn’t lifted his gun. His shocked eyes are on the man beside him. When he turns it is to see carnage and the Aboriginal mother writhing on the ground.
7
“God, God, God”. A tormented Horatio Wills is marching up and down a paddock, arms clasped behind his back, Bible in his hands. “Only you who know everything understands”. He looks towards the Grampians/Gariwerd, magnificent and blue and strange to him. He looks towards the blacks camp. They’ve all gone. “Only you know, Lord!” shouts Horatio to the heavens. “Only you know!” He looks back towards the house and sees a boy, Tom, running towards him.
“Are they back?” cries Tom in an excited voice. “Are the blacks back?”
“No,” says Horatio. “No, they’ve gone away”.
Tom is disappointed. “I have no-one to play with”.
Horatio is touched, wants to help. “Next week I’ll pack up the dray and we’ll go over to the McGoverns. You can play with William”.
“William’s games are boring. The blacks’ game are fun”.
Horatio looks back, knowing and troubled, at the empty space that was the camp of the blacks.
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